A life for a life
by jigoku-kage
Summary: Sacrifice: to give up something for the sake of another. How much are we willing to surrender of ourselves for the sake of love ones. What will we sacrifice for their happiness. To give up anything means sacrificing everything, until nothing is left.
1. The beginning

A life for a life

Disclaimer: I do not own Final fantasy, some one else along with square enix have the rights to them. I am just borrowing the characters for my own amusements.

Authors Note: story dedicated and inspired by **ladyaffirmed: "Fallen Angel"** (hope you are all right utsukushiki-chan) **Zodiac Sefirosu (apologies if spelled incorrectly): "Good to see you brother" and "From hero to plaything" and Forgottenhour (Kyle) "Belonging."** Apologize if anything in here sounds like yours.

We all think that Cloud and Sephiroth battle could have and for some of us (should have) ended a lot differently. This is one of those stories.

Reviews appreciated as well as constructive criticism.

Beginning of the story starts of during the climatic battle between Sephiroth and Cloud in Advent Children Complete. 

Summary: A life for a life does not always mean death. In some situations death would be much more preferable then certain fates. When you sacrifice something, you must be willing to pay a price. When that something is yourself, you are the price that is to be paid.

Chapter One: The beginning

"Good to see you…Cloud." said a smooth baritone voice. Long silver hair swayed slightly as he shifted his head upwards to look at his once obedient puppet. He smiled as he noticed the other man's eyes widen slightly in fear. The look on the younger man's face was so amusing he thought. He wanted to see more of it; he wanted to see all of it.

Gasping in fear as he stared at the resurrected Ex. General, blue eyes locked with demonic green ones. He could feel the semi-dormant Jenova cells run rampant sending small shocks throughout his body.

Suddenly without warning Sephiroth swung his blade effectively knocking the smaller man's sword away and then again sending him flying upwards. Caught of guard by this Cloud managed to quickly catch himself as he managed to land on the roof of a building, he quickly turned his head around when he noticed the taller man leap above landing gracefully on a higher part of the same building.

"Your geostigma is gone?" he asked as he stared down at the spiky-haired blonde. Blue eyes glared angrily up at green ones. "That's too bad."

"Sephiroth," Cloud demanded impatiently "what do you want?"

"The last of those with geostigma dead." the silver haired man responded as if he was stating the obvious. "Those remnants will join the lifestream and girdle the planet; Choking it, corroding it." A small smile made its way to the silver-hair man's face as he raised a leather-clad hand in the air. "What I want Cloud," he stated in a smooth baritone voice. "Is to sail the cosmos this planet as my vessel just as my mother did long ago." Flicking his wrist, he summoned multiple black vortexes throughout the sky quickly coating the land in darkness.

Gasping as he noticed the sudden darkness cover the sky, he held first tsurugi out in front of him ready to attack the insane man who initiated it.

"Then one day we'll find a new planet," Sephiroth declared as he lowered his hand "and on its soil we'll create a shining future."

Blue eyes widen in anger at the words that came from the insane man's mouth. He couldn't let that happen. Not after everything, they went through. Not after everyone, they lost.

"But what about this planet?" Cloud demanded angrily at the taller man.

"Well," the man in front of him darkly mused, "that's up to you Cloud."

Staring at each other with hate-filled eyes both men moved forward and charged at the other. The echoing of their clashing swords resonated throughout the skies.

Now I am going to stop it right there. If anyone has any advice on what I could or how I should write the next chapter then please tell, I would appreciate it. The next chapter


	2. Anything

Chapter Two: A life for a life-Anything

A/N: Before you this story, I must warn you that it will contain blood, and torture. If you do not like any of these things then I suggest you pleasure your mind with something else. However, if you do find things to be of your liking then enjoy.

(Aftermath of Cloud and Sephiroth's fight: edited to fit the story plot)

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy, just a sick and twisted mind.

Summary: What does it mean to sacrifice anything? Does it mean sacrificing everything? Are we willing to give up what we call our own for survival? More importantly are we willing to do it for another. How much are we truly willing to sacrifice for the sake of another being, how much are we willing to give up? At times of crisis will we truly know the depths of our bonds…even if means severing it for your sake.

"There's not a thing you don't cherish?" said a smooth baritone voice mockingly. Green eyes glared down at the unconscious swordsman below him. Kneeling down to sit next to the other, Sephiroth placed a hand on top of the wound on the other's chest and pressed down softly. A small smile emerged on his face when he noticed the other's face in distort slightly in pain from his actions. A soft yet dark chuckle escaped the silver hair man's lips as he pressed down harder into the wound drawing more blood to flow.

"I wonder?" he asked himself as he began slowly driving his fingers into the injury his smirk widening when he notices the other whimper and hiss slightly in pain because of the intrusion.

"How much you are willing to sacrifice for said "cherish ones"? What are you willing to sacrifice for their existence…Cloud?"

Sighing the silver hair man slowly lifted his hand from the other's chest removing his fingers from within the blonde's wound and placing them within his mouth, his tongue relishing in their bittersweet taste. A disappointed "hmm" escaped his lips when the tangy crimson substance was gone.

Standing Sephiroth turned his back from the other and walked over to the edge of the roof, demonic green eyes admiring the blacken skies slowly consuming the insignificant planet. Turning his head towards the around, the Ex. General frowned slightly when he noticed the sleeping youth had begun to stir.

"Cloud…" he slowly said, his baritone voice laced with wicked intent as he quickly eliminated the rather large amount of space from the middle of the roof and its edge. A sadistic smile etched itself onto his face as he unsheathed Masamune and held it over the stirring blonde spiky hair man who eyes were now open halfway revealing hazy blue eyes.

"What are you willing to sacrifice…Puppet?" With that, said Sephiroth swiftly plunged his blade right into the other's right kidney, smiling as the man below eyes open fully and widen in pain. His mouth opened as a scream of agony escaped his lips; blood trickled down as the sadistic man above him twisted the blade slightly, savoring the screams that escaped the man below him lips.

Reaching a hand to grasp the intruding object in his lower torso, Cloud immediately recoiled when a black boot came down hard on his arm completely shattering the bone before stepping off it. Gasping the spiky hair youth turned his head to the side and closed his eyes tight in an attempt to block the pain resonating now in his left arm and torso.

"This is nothing," the blonde swordsman whispered to himself through clenched teeth. "This doesn't hurt at all. It doesn't hurt at-aaahhh!" the blonde's sentence was cut short with a loud scream of anguish, crimson liquid spewed from his mouth and spurted on to his chin and neck. Turning his head forward blue eyes widen when he saw the object slowly rotating within him. Demonic green ones spiraling with pleasure met looked down upon pain filled blue orbs.

"It doesn't hurt?" said a cruel baritone voice mockingly. Sneering at the sight of the pathetic blonde beneath him attempt to glare. "I beg to differ." Kneeling down, Sephiroth sat on his knees next to the now conscious youth, his hand never leaving his blade.

"Get away from me!" the last part being shouted Cloud as he grasped the blade in his body and attempted to pull it out only for the man above to viciously thread it half way into his body and pull it out. The younger man lying next to him gasped and recoil his hand as the blade sliced through his skin. Taking a few deep breathes Cloud turned his head and stared at the man next to him. "What exactly to you want, Sephiroth?"

"Now, now Cloud." the man scolded calmly as though he was talking to a child. "It's rude to shout especially to those who show you mercy. You should be honor I have decided to forgive you for your past actions against us?"

"What are you talking?" the blonde swordsman asked confusedly. "What are you rambling about Sephiroth? How do you call _this_ mercy?" the youth yelled angrily. The man next to him merely stared impassively. "I don't care about your fucked up forgiveness. So tell me right now what do you want Sephiroth?"

The man next to Cloud bends his head down towards his chest and let out a soft chuckle laced with amusement at the youth's naivety. Without warning Sephiroth grasped the blonde's broken arm and quickly yanked Cloud up into a sitting position savoring the small yelp made as a consequence of his actions. Placing a hand over Cloud's mouth and nose, Sephiroth frowned as the other began thrashing in his grip in an attempt to relieve himself of the appendage now hindering him of oxygen. Releasing the other's arm, he immediately wrapped it around the other and stilled the younger man's movement.

"You are only making harder for yourself my angel," he informed the blonde swordsman in a voice void of emotion. "Just cease all of your struggling and everything will be alright…Everything will be as it is meant to, I promise." The youth in his arms responding in muffled curses in response to his words. It was becoming more and more difficult for Cloud to breathe as his attempts to get out of the other hold became weaker, slowly diminishing until they were no more. The last thing the blonde swordsman heard before darkness completely engulfed his mind was Sephiroth voice whisper cruelly in his ear.

"There's not thing you don't cherish you said. I wonder how much you are truly willing to sacrifice for them. How much of yourself will you surrender for their sake…?"

(Takes deep breath) Yaaaaay! I finished my second chapter and it is longer then the first. I appreciated those who checked this story out. If anyone has any suggestion or pointers then I would appreciate them.


	3. Worth

A/N: This chapter will contain bondage and slight mental/emotional torture, courtesy of our favorite one-winged angel.

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own "Final Fantasy" Square Enix and some other lucky bastard do. (Why can't I be that lucky bastard *sad face* why?)

Summary: Something…what does it exactly mean we give surrender "it"? To give a small piece of yourself or perhaps a bit more. It is uncertain how much of "something" we can surrender until it is satisfied. At times, we might end up sacrificing more then we desired to, until there is nothing left to give. After all, there is only so much one possesses. So again, I ask; what does mean to give up something? The answer is…

Opening what appeared to have once been an elegant but still secure wooden door, Sephiroth briefly glanced at his surroundings and smiled. "This is the very last place," he thought calmly. "The last place anyone would consider searching." Upon entering the rather large establishment, he shifted the unmoving youth from off his shoulders and into his arms bridal style. Briefly turning around to lock the door that consisted of five different locks each one designed to aid the security of the place. Once this was finished, Sephiroth sighed and slumped down to the ground gracefully, the smaller man in his arms still asleep barely effected by the action and turned to lean against the door.

Taking this opportunity to observe his surroundings, the older man was rather surprised at the buildings still stable condition. Sure, there were some cobwebs here and there but those things were expected. Taking a moment to cast his eyes downward, Sephiroth stared at the youth in his arms and smirked. He had obtained something better then the planet, something almost as good as life itself. The one who he had once thought of as any enemy; a hindrance to his and "mother's" plans was now at his mercy and he didn't intend to show any especially with all trouble the blond youth had caused for him. Sighing Sephiroth rose off the ground and headed towards a room a few feet from where he stood.

"Cloud…" he whispered calmly, his low baritone voice like silk in the air. "Do you remember your time in this place? All of those things that happened to you?" The questions would remain unanswered until the other had awoken. Walking towards a wall it's only decoration being a door, throwing the other over his shoulders once more, Sephiroth was rather astonished at how knocked out the blonde swordsman seemed to be. Reaching a now free hand towards the door, the Ex. General gripped the brass knob of door and allowed a small smirk to etch itself on his features once more, before opening it completely revealing steps the ones at the top visible the rest were consumed by the darkness of which they were placed in.

"It does not matter if you remember or not," he stated as began walking down the steps. "For once I am through with you nothing else but my desires will Cloud." As he continued to walk down the light seemed to get dimmer and dimmer. Now for a normal human being walking around in the dark can be rather dangerous. However, Sephiroth was not a normal human being, nor was he human at all. Using his mako-enhanced vision the taller man was able to make out every detail of his voyage in the dark even some that others would have missed even with light assisting them. Placing the still sleeping youth on the ground next to him for a moment Sephiroth walked towards the middle of the room. Reaching upwards his hand gripped what appeared to be a chain and pulled it illuminating the room in a dim brightness.

At that very moment Cloud's eyes shot open confusion evident on his face. Turning his head to observe the room he was in to. His blues widen when he saw Sephiroth in the middle of the room just standing there calmly. Feeling around for anything to use as a makeshift weapon, his hands lightly tap the bottom step. Not once taking his eyes of the older man in the middle of the room, he rose to feet careful to make as little noise as possible. Not wanting to alert the other of his presence he quickly but stealthily placed a foot on the bottom step and headed upwards careful to keep his body flat against the wall as to (hopefully) avoid detection.

"What is this place?" he whispered softly as he reached the top step, the light from the room above brighter then below. "Why would Sephiroth bring me here?"

"Why do you ask such foolish questions my dear pet?" a smooth baritone whispered in his ears. Turning his head around to see where the disturbingly familiar voice had come from, his cerulean blue eyes met cruel green demonic orbs. "The reason why I kept you alive should be evident enough."

Placing a hand on the other's shoulder Sephiroth sneered as he gripped the other tightly, the youth in his grasp thrashing in panic. The sounds of the other's pained cries were bliss to his ears. Feeling another hand grab the opposite shoulder Cloud attempted to break out of the other's hold. His wish came true though not in the way he desired as Sephiroth harshly threw his body back down the steps and into a nearby wall. Landing on his side Cloud gasped in pain as he attempted to sit up. He feel that several of his ribs were broken, ignoring this though he managed to rise half way into a sitting position, an iron-like taste had begun to enter his mouth.

"Damn!" the youth gritted angrily through his teeth. "I have to get out of here." Without warning, he felt a boot slam hard into his midsection, causing the youth on the ground to gasp in pain.

"I won't allow you to escape Cloud, not after all the trouble you caused." Hearing a click sound Cloud knew that his only way of escaped had been cut off from him. Casting his eyes upwards, Cloud saw Sephiroth standing over him. His green orbs glistening with madness as stared down at the other on the ground, his face void of any emotion. "Besides you should feel honored that I am sparing their lives, especially at the price of your own."

"Lives, my own… what are you rambling about?" the blond swordsman asked angrily. Propping himself up on his elbows Cloud turned away from Sephiroth not wanting to see those frightening eyes of his. Having finally managed to get into a "comfortable" sitting position Cloud looked up at the other man who was merely returning his rage filled glance with one of indifference. "What is that you want!" he shouted. The taller man merely snickered quietly at his outburst of rage and impatience.

Reaching a hand out towards the man below him, Sephiroth placed it in the other's surprisingly soft blond spikes and began gently combing slender fingers through them, marveling in their silky texture. The other's eyes were wide in shock at the man's actions. "What is he doing?" Cloud thought as he continued reluctantly letting the other man pat his hair. Looking up he saw the other look at him with a calm but amused smile on his face. Apparently, his behavior amused the other or something among those lines. Whatever it was, it annoyed the blond to no end.

Soon the other's man smiled transformed into sneer as he entangled his hair in the other's hair and began dragging him towards another side of the room. Causing the youth to yelp in pain as Sephiroth continued to pull him against his will.

"Let go!" Cloud shouted. Pain was evident in his voice as he reached his hands out to grab the taller man's wrist in attempt to grab it. "Let go! Get off of me now!"

Chuckling darkly at the other's show of emotions, Sephiroth tangled his hands further into the other's hair and continued to tug him along with him until they reached a wall though this one was different from the other. On it was two chains connected to leather cuffs each one about arms reach from the other, on the floor were two similar to the those on the walls. The chains on the wall were long enough to allow another person to get behind them with little trouble and short enough to keep the person in them from turning around.

Turning the other around to face him he callously pushed the other against the wall, the younger man slumping to the ground as agony overrode his body from the impact. Feeling a hand on his left leg Cloud eyes widen as he watched Sephiroth place a leather cuff around his left leg. Moving he swiftly did the same thing with the other leg. Then moving to do the same to the blond's arms, the smirked as he felt the other man thrashing beneath in attempt to try to free his legs.

"It's no use Cloud," he whispered cruelly. The older man's baritone voice was starting to become annoying to the swordsman. Gripping the other's right wrist Sephiroth squeezed until he heard a loud crack, the man beneath him mouth opened in a silent scream his body momentarily going limp as the older man secured a leather cuff around the now useless limb, using the blond temporarily stage of shock, Sephiroth took this opportunity to secure the other's arm. Walking back, a couple feet the silver haired man unsheathed Masamune and pointed it at his now chained captive.

"It's inane to think that you could even break out of those chains, Cloud," the man said calmly as he stared into the blue eyes glaring at him from below. The fury and hatred in those eyes shone like the brightest flames. In facts if looks could kill then he himself would be nothing more then a burned pile of bones, flesh, and leather. Smiling at the other's rebellious behavior Sephiroth, positioned his elegant blade at the bottom of Cloud's chin, the blond's faint shudder was not missed as the blade connected with his flesh. Raged filled blues now laced with fear. Noticing this, the older man chuckled darkly at the other's terror.

"Relax Cloud," he stated as though he was speaking to a young child instead of a captive warrior. "I do not plan on killing you, at least not for the moment."

The youth's eyes widen in confusion. "He does plan to kill me," he thought dread seeping into his mind at the possible reasons why Sephiroth would keep him alive. "But we're enemies so why?" Turning his head away from the other Cloud let out a frustrated sigh. "Why am I here?" he whispered softly to himself. "How did this happen? What the fuck does this bastard want!" A cool hand on his face hand broke him out of his raged filled reverie. Turning around he saw the silver haired man crouch down right beside him, his right hand caressing his cheek, the smile the other gave the man send chills down Cloud's spine making him feel frozen from the inside out.

"Why are you here you ask," he said. His voice calm, every word said meticulously. "The reason for you being here," he stated as he rose to his feet, now standing over the other like a shadow. "Is because I want to see how far you are willing to go for them." Suddenly without warning Sephiroth impaled Masamune into the smaller man's abdomen and slowly began threading it through, blood flowed wildly from the wound as blood trickled from its victim mouth.

Cloud scream on pain as he felt the long deadly blade tear right through flesh and continue passed muscles into his organs. He could not move he could do a thing. Every move he made only intensified the agony the blade send through him. Closing eyes the spiky haired youth began taking deep shallow breaths as the blade continued to move inside him. Just as he was, the verge of passing out the blade stopped its movement; opening his tear-filled eyes, Cloud cast them downwards to see what the damage was. He immediately recoiled what he saw. The long blade was impaled more then halfway through him and into the wall behind. Feeling the other's gaze on him the youth put his head down. Sephiroth in return walked away from the other. Just as he made it to the stairs, he turned halfway towards the blond and spoke.

"Tommorow we will see how far your loyalties lay."

"My loyalties," the blond asked unsure of what the other meant. "What are talking about?" Looking at the youth Sephiroth merely turned around and glanced at the blond, who was staring at him in confusion, blood decorating his cream colored chin and neck with red and smiled.

"What I am talking about Cloud…," said Sephiroth who had now started to walk up the steps leaving Cloud alone with the dim brightness. "Is your loyalties to those friends of yours. After all their fate and this planet depend very well on you, my angel." With those last words spoken, the silver hair man stood at the top step and smiled as he closed the door leaving the room's only occupant covered in red and confusion at his words.

Wow! This is my longest chapter so far. Thank you for checking this story out and I am just happy knowing people are reading my story so thank you for all the hits and visits! In addition, chapter four is in process and shall be out…eventually.


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